TERMINAL BRANCHES. 



1335 



THE GREAT SCIATIC NERVE. 



The great sciatic nerve (n. ischiadicus) , the largest nerve of the entire human body, 

 is a thick bundle of nerve-fibres derived from both the anterior and posterior portions of 



FIG. 1115. 



Gluteus maximus 

 Great sciatic nerve 



Great sacrosciatic ligament 

 Small sciatic nerve 



Tuber ischii 

 Great sciatic nerve 



Brs. to semitendinosus 



Adductor magnus 

 Biceps, long head 



Semitendinosus 

 Semimembranosus 



Br. to adductor magnus 



Br. to semimembranosus 



Semimembranosus 



Popliteal artery 

 Articular branch 



Popliteal vein 

 Comnumicaiis tibialis 



Gluteus medius 



Pyriformis 

 Gemellus superior 



Obturator intern us 

 Gemellus inferior 

 Obturator externus 

 Trochanter major 



Quadrat us femoris 



Gluteus maximus 

 Br. to biceps 



Biceps, short head 

 Int. popliteal nerve 



External popliteal nerve 

 Articular branch 

 Azygos articular branch 

 Femur, popliteal surface 



I Muscu 



lar branches 



Gastrocnemius 

 Communicans fibulans 



Deep dissection ot posterior surface of right thigh, showing great sciatic : nenre Dividing 

 into external popliteal (peroneal) and internal popliteal (tibial) nerves. 



the sacral plexus (Fig. 1112). Properly it consists of two elements only, the ex 

 ternal and internal popliteal nerves, the former from the posterior and the latt< 



